Dunedin council grants liquor licence for suicide prevention event that sparked Mike King's alcohol comments

Dunedin's district licensing committee has granted a special licence for alcohol sales at a fashion show on Saturday that is raising money for a suicide prevention charity.

The liquor licence application was opposed by police and the city's licensing inspector, which led to mental health advocate Mike King making public comments that alcohol could be "the solution" to some people's problems, going as far as to suggest it has done more good than harm.

Those comments have been criticised by mental health workers and politicians alike, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon defending the government's funding of King's Gumboot Friday counselling programme.

The matter of the special licence was decided at a short-notice licensing committee hearing in Dunedin on Friday morning.

Committee chairman Colin Weatherall said while there had been opposition to the licence, all parties acknowledged the quality of the event's organisation and objectives.

"While the link between alcohol and mental health problems is well established, this event - like many others held in Dunedin and around New Zealand - is also an important part of fundraising for suicide prevention and other worthy charitable causes," Weatherall said.

"With this in mind, the committee has decided to grant the special licence for tomorrow's event."

The charity fundraiser will be held at the Wall Street mall tomorrow night (Saturday, 2 November 2024) to raise funds for the Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust.

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